Saturday, March 21, 2015

High stakes testing

Parents and friends of students were photographed climbing school walls to pass on answers.

Many of those arrested were parents. At least 750 students have been expelled.An estimated 1.4m students are taking their school leaving
exams in Bihar alone - tests seen as crucial for their chances of a
successful career.

The authorities have clearly been embarrassed by the
cheating, the BBC's Jill McGivering says, with the episode prompting
ridicule on social media.

Students were seen copying answers from smuggled-in note
sheets, and police posted outside test centres were even seen being
bribed to look the other way.

What do the authorities have to say? Natch, they're underfunded;

State Education Minister PK Shahi said it would be difficult to
conduct fair exams without help from parents, given the potential number
of people involved.

"Three to four people helping a single student would mean
that there is a total of six to seven million people helping students
cheat," he said.

"Is it the responsibility of the government alone to manage
such a huge number of people and to conduct a 100% free and fair
examination?"